West Coast Offense - Good, Bad or Ugly?

[Ade Jimoh Fan Club]

I know we have some smart football folks on this site - I was wondering what you thought about the switch to the West Coast Offense, specifically:

1) Is it just me or is this a terrible move for Campbell? He throws a sweet, sweet long ball, but his short dinks and dumps are horid. They are almost always off target - he just doesn't have that touch in his arsenal. Since this pretty much IS the West Coast Offense, do you think Campbell can change this part of his game, or is the beginning of the end for him...?

2) We definitely have the perfect receivers for this offense; fast, speedy, RAC WR's. Plus Portis has shown himself to be a great (and in my opinion, underutilzed) receiver. Do you think we are good in this area?

3) What does this mean for the O-Line? I know we had a lot of injuries last year, but they group should be starting next year intact and we all know they are a pretty good group of linemen. Does the West Coast Offense call for a different set of O-Lineman? (i.e. smaller and more agile?)

4) We all know that the priorities for the draft are D-Linemen and DB's. Is the move to West Coast Offense going to re-prioritize any of our draft picks?

Thanks for your input!

THE ADE

[MTK]

JC needs work on his all around accuracy. I wasn't impressed with his deep ball ability at all. I mean the potential is there, but how many times did he over shoot wide open WRs last year?? Too many times if you ask me.

He's getting there, his completion % went from 53.1 in his first year to 60.0 in his 2nd, he just needs to keep building on that progress.

In a WCO he really needs to get that % up closer to 65%.

[wilsowilso]

I think people around here are going to be very surprised just how accurate JC can be when he is running the West Coast Offense. He had a ridiculously high completion percentage(One of the best ever in the history of the SEC) his senior year at Auburn when they went undefeated. That year the Tigers ran a version of the WCO.

Campbell's completion percentage his senior year at Auburn was 69.6%

[Skinny Tee]

It seems as if he will throw more picks though since it deals with rhythm passing and not throwing to the open man.

I envision the Zorn bringing in another QB (vet or rookie) to stabilize the QB spot. Brunell and Collins are sure to hit the road due to the new offensive staff.

[killromo]

All very good points Ade. I too am on edge about JC and his overthrows/inaccuracy. This is my major concern.. O-line and receivers will be solid I believe. If Jc overthrows some of the WCO routes they will be pick 6's, daggers to the heart. At least he will be used to learning a new system at this point. This in my opinion will be the make or break year for JC. His work ethic and determintaion should help him out in preparartion. Hopefully he can make some end of game drives with no int's. I'm pulling for you big time JC.

[wilsowilso]

Originally Posted by Skinny Tee

It seems as if he will throw more picks though since it deals with rhythm passing and not throwing to the open man.

Campbell is a rhythm passer or at least he thinks he is. Rhythm is just about his favorite word. He probably used the word rhythm several times in almost every post game press conference last year.

[wilsowilso]

Originally Posted by killromo

If Jc overthrows some of the WCO routes they will be pick 6's, daggers to the heart. At least he will be used to learning a new system at this point.

The WCO is not a new system to JC.

[SmootSmack]

I'd be interested to see if his short to intermediate range accuracy increased as the season progressed last year. I think that part of the reason for his struggles was due to the receivers making the adjustment from left-handed, lo-mein with shrimp armed Brunell, to right-handed, Pachelbelled armed Campbell.

[over the mountain]

good thread topic, i am also curious as to the nuances of the WCO and what NFL teams run it?

warpath experts please post your thoughts . .

[texasskinsfan]

Originally Posted by Ade Jimoh Fan Club

I know we have some smart football folks on this site - I was wondering what you thought about the switch to the West Coast Offense, specifically:

1) Is it just me or is this a terrible move for Campbell? He throws a sweet, sweet long ball, but his short dinks and dumps are horid. They are almost always off target - he just doesn't have that touch in his arsenal. Since this pretty much IS the West Coast Offense, do you think Campbell can change this part of his game, or is the beginning of the end for him...?

2) We definitely have the perfect receivers for this offense; fast, speedy, RAC WR's. Plus Portis has shown himself to be a great (and in my opinion, underutilzed) receiver. Do you think we are good in this area?

3) What does this mean for the O-Line? I know we had a lot of injuries last year, but they group should be starting next year intact and we all know they are a pretty good group of linemen. Does the West Coast Offense call for a different set of O-Lineman? (i.e. smaller and more agile?)

4) We all know that the priorities for the draft are D-Linemen and DB's. Is the move to West Coast Offense going to re-prioritize any of our draft picks?

Thanks for your input!

THE ADE

I think that under the direction of Jim Zorn JC will learn to make rhythm passes and he'll become a very productive QB. His rating will go up a lot because Zorn will turn him into the QB he will have to be in order to run the WCO. I think while at Auburn they ran a type of WCO too. And it certainly is more simplified than Al's 700 playbook schemes.

[Paintrain]

Well nobody in the league runs the true version of the WCO anymore but there are a number of teams (Seattle, GB, Philly, KC, Buffalo, NYJ, Jax, Minn, NO, TB, SF) that run some variation of it. In it's truest sense, Campbell would probably struggle because most of the passes are slants and skinny posts hitting the WR in stride.. The version we'll run will likely be closer to the version Philly and Seattle run which has much more of a vertical element as well as an increased number of crossing patterns..

McNabb and Campbell, at this stage in Campbell's development, have very similar throwing motions/accuracy issues but McNabb has become very efficient and proficient (especially when he has WR to work with) in that offense. The way they've done that is to move him out of the pocket, have him get in the rythym short range with screens and swings and taking shots deep down the field.

The other great thing about the WCO is there isn't significant pressure on the OL to hold their blocks for long.. Most drops are a 5 step drop rather than 7, most of the time the ball is out very quickly or the QB is on the move, there's not really much bouncing from read to read and risking holding on to the ball forever.

As for our personnel with the WCO, Moss and ARE are well equipped to be complimentary receivers but we'd really benefit from having a tall, fast WR who can make the catches over the middle and rack up some YAC as well, that should be priority #1 for free agency/trade.. Cooley should have an outstanding year as well next year..

[schndr_tdd]

Campbell's problem is when he holds on to the ball to long,he gets nervous..Getting rid of the ball fast in the slant game gives the offense the edge..It limits turnovers because the corner doesnt have as good of a chance to react and get square to the ball..

[Redskins8588]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

Well nobody in the league runs the true version of the WCO anymore but there are a number of teams (Seattle, GB, Philly, KC, Buffalo, NYJ, Jax, Minn, NO, TB, SF) that run some variation of it. In it's truest sense, Campbell would probably struggle because most of the passes are slants and skinny posts hitting the WR in stride.. The version we'll run will likely be closer to the version Philly and Seattle run which has much more of a vertical element as well as an increased number of crossing patterns..

McNabb and Campbell, at this stage in Campbell's development, have very similar throwing motions/accuracy issues but McNabb has become very efficient and proficient (especially when he has WR to work with) in that offense. The way they've done that is to move him out of the pocket, have him get in the rythym short range with screens and swings and taking shots deep down the field.

The other great thing about the WCO is there isn't significant pressure on the OL to hold their blocks for long.. Most drops are a 5 step drop rather than 7, most of the time the ball is out very quickly or the QB is on the move, there's not really much bouncing from read to read and risking holding on to the ball forever.

As for our personnel with the WCO, Moss and ARE are well equipped to be complimentary receivers but we'd really benefit from having a tall, fast WR who can make the catches over the middle and rack up some YAC as well, that should be priority #1 for free agency/trade.. Cooley should have an outstanding year as well next year..

I agree with pretty much everything that you said, but I do not agree with NO being a WCO team. I think that Peyton is more of a Air Coryell Offense type of coach. At least that is how he was under Parcelles and his 1st season in NO...

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by Redskins8588

I agree with pretty much everything that you said, but I do not agree with NO being a WCO team. I think that Peyton is more of a Air Coryell Offense type of coach. At least that is how he was under Parcelles and his 1st season in NO...

Yeah, I'd agree he's on the outer fringe of the WCO.. He has much more of a vertical focus but has a lot of passes out of the backfield and crossing passes in his scheme..

[SFREDSKIN]

It's ironic that the Redskins will now run the WCO and San Francisco will run a version of the Coryell offense (Martz)